Sunday, 30 March 2014

Saturday & Sunday 29th & 30th March. Enjoyable, busy
seawatches with Simon, Matt & other Spalsh Point regulars, although nothing
particularly out of the ordinary was seen. Both days the wind started a bit
north of east and ended up a bit south of east although was never strong.

29 March 2014 06:25-13:05 GMT

30 March 2014 07:25-13:35 BST

diver sp.

1E ?Blk-thr

(big foot)

Red-throated Diver

39E:2o/s

109E

Black-necked Grebe

3 o/s

Great Crested Grebe

3E

1 o/s

Fulmar

50+

50+

Gannet

59E

10E

Little Egret

1E

Brent Goose

221E

532E

Barnacle Goose

1E

Canada Goose

8E

Shelduck

7E

Mallard

2E

Gadwall

?2E

Teal

11E

13E

Shoveler

22E

4E

Pintail

4E

2E

Eider

4E

Common Scoter

725E

772E

Red-breasted Merg

25E

19E

Oystercatcher

2E

1E

Grey Plover

3E

Dunlin

1E

3E

Curlew

10E

20E

Whimbrel

2E

Bar-tailed Godwit

1E

Redshank

4E

Arctic Skua

5E

1E

Mediterranean Gull

17E

Little Gull

53E

16E

Black-headed Gull

few

169E

Common Gull

12E

47E

Kittiwake

250+

200+

Sandwich Tern

105E

96E

auk sp.

2E

1E

Rock Pipit

1

Chiffchaff

1

Also on 30th, singing male Stonechat at Newhaven
Tidemills and 2 Little Egrets on the Adur

Stonechat at the Tidemills

Monday 24-Friday 28 March. Cycling to and from work 1-2 Peregrines on or around Southwick Power Station chimney most days and a/the juvenile/first-winter Glaucous Gull on a warehouse roof NW of the lock-gates.

Sunday, 23 March 2014

Sunday 23 March. An hour looking off Shoreham Fort was expectedly poor, it was clear & NW, but I did see my first Sussex Gannets this year (all 2 of them), also 2 Common Scoter and 4 distant Eider flew east and a petrosus Rock Pipit was on the arm. A Great Crested Grebe was the most notable bird on the Adur while a Whimbrel flew N. Visited Arundel WWT with Megan. The Black-necked Swans have cygnets while I enjoyed seeing my usual favourites (Blue Duck with white 'Call Duck' friend, male Scaly-sided Merganser, Harlequins and Emperor Geese). We also saw a pair of fully-winged Mandarin, a Cetti's Warbler and 10 Mediterranean Gulls amongst the Black-headeds. No slow-worms yet on the allotment.Saturday 22 March. A morning with John King where we finally, at the fifth attempt in the last month, saw Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. At Greatham the Great Grey Shrike, which I'd failed to find on three previous occasions this year, was showing well although somewhat distantly. Definitely a lucky day. We also saw 7 Sand Martins which looked great but soon moved on and from the bridge the Black-necked Grebe coming into summer plumage. Pulborough RSPB was quiet with a distant Red Kite, male Peregrine, a summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit, Treecreeper and three superb Bullfinches pretty much it.

fifth time lucky and even then it stayed mainly on the opposite side of branches

Great Grey Shrike at Greatham

it caught several flies while we were watching it and seems to have its eye on something here

Bullfinch at Pulborough. Probably my favourite British finch and one that I sadly see less and less frequently

Scintillating Bronze Pheasant, and yes I was completely gripped by the image on DC's blog too

Friday 21 March. The male Wheatear on Southwick Beach on my way to work and a Mistle Thrush singing its hauntingly beautiful song when I arrived.Thursday 20 March. Two Peregrines on Southwick Power Station chimney on my way to work and a Mistle Thrush singing when I arrived. Walking a section of Southwick Beach on my way home finally paid off with a male Wheatear. More than any other migrant the first Wheatear of the year is eagerly anticipated by me. 23 Pied Wagtails by the Lock-gates, but I was a bit earlier.Wednesday 19 March. Nothing seen on the beach again. 55 Pied Wagtails at a pre-roost gathering by the Lock-gates.Tuesday 18 March. Nothing seen on the beach.Monday 17 March. A Peregrine on Southwick Power Station chimney on my way to work. On my way home a walk along sections of the beach at Portslade and Southwick failed to turn up any Wheatears but a/the juvenile Glaucous was with other gulls on the sand exposed by the low tide.